Barcelona have remarkably revealed that Lionel Messi is leaving the club.

Despite it seeming inevitable that the Argentine would sign a new contract at Camp Nou, the European giants instead explained that their all-time record goalscorer would be departing.

It was an announcement that sent shockwaves through the footballing world with the Blaugrana releasing an official statement explaining that Messi is 'not staying at FC Barcelona.'

Barcelona announce Messi exit

The club added: "Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of Spanish LaLiga regulations on player registration.

"As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled.

"FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life."

BREAKING: Lionel Messi WILL LEAVE Barcelona (Football Terrace)

Messi and Barcelona divorce

It really is astonishing that Messi couldn't secure a Barcelona exit when he actually wanted one, but has actually been shown the door when he looked set to complete a U-turn and stay at the club.

And while the prospect of Messi playing elsewhere is undeniably thrilling, one can't help feeling a tinge of sadness that the greatest club-player collaboration in history has come to such a jarring end.

It's a regretful situation that has left countless fans of both Barcelona and Messi wondering what could have been done to avoid a divorce that looked for all intents and purposes to be off the table.

Footage of old interview goes viral

And in amongst the musings of 'what could have been?' across social media has been the re- emergence of an old clip from 2009 that shows Messi discussing a hypothetical Barcelona exit.

Unearthed from the vaults by Twitter user @CrewsMat19 to the tune of more than 1,300 retweets and 5,900 'likes', it emanates from a Barca TV interview when Messi was being linked with a move away.

And with many fans feeling as though the current situation is Barcelona's fault as opposed to Messi's, you can see why it's started to spread like wildfire, so be sure to check it out down below:

Fans are getting emotional

We're not crying, you are.

"If I ever leave..." translation 

Now, there is a slight discrepancy in the subtitles when compared to a contemporary translation by the Independent, but the gist of Messi's personal commitment to Barcelona remains the seen.

"I do not know where all these rumours start but I have never wanted to leave this club," Messi is quoted as saying. "If I ever leave, it will be because they do not want me, not because I want to leave.

"Barcelona has always treated me and my family in an extraordinary fashion, ever since I was a small child. Staying with Barca would be my way of thanking them for what they have done for me.”

ENTER GIVEAWAY

With Barca's very own statement revealing that Messi had agreed to the new deal, it's easy to see why many fans have drawn the conclusion that the club is culpable for the situation reaching this point.

But regardless of whether Messi would think 'they do not want me' or not in this case, you'd be a pretty hard-boiled football fan to watch the 2009 clip and not bemoan that things have gone so wrong.